


Brothers, Not By Choice

by TineyMichaelson



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Parents, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, vague racism from an older generation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-08 15:11:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8849812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TineyMichaelson/pseuds/TineyMichaelson
Summary: Marlene Enjolras is a social worker and has been for years. One case tugs at her heart like no other has and she makes a decision. It's a big adjustment for the whole family, including her son. Whether Julien Enjolras likes it or not, Quentin Courfeyrac is his new foster brother.A story about Enjolras and Courfeyrac growing up together as brothers, through the fun and the hard times.(Tags, warnings and rating will change as the story is further developed.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, welcome to my new story! I have a few chapters written, but it is still currently in progress. I wanted to post the first chapter to see if there is any readership for it. I'm hoping there will be because this story hit my like lightening and is demanding to be written! I already have a lot of plot planned out moving forward but also a lot of wiggle room. As the story develops, I'll likely ask for input from you guys on certain aspects of the story.
> 
> Courfeyrac is around age 3-4 in this chapter.
> 
> Fun fact: this entire story ran away in my head as I tried to imagine a younger Courfeyrac trying to say Enjolras and Combeferre's names as a kid. My, how your brain can run away with an idea.
> 
> Enjoy!

            When Quentin Courfeyrac was young, almost too young to remember, he lived with is biological parents. His parents were not nice people. From what he remembered about them, they were always smoking or eating things that made them act funny, they never let him watch TV, hit him when he was too loud, and forgot to cook supper a lot. When he grew up, he was happy he didn’t remember a lot of it.

            One day his mother went out to work and didn’t come home. She didn’t come home the next day or the next. Quentin was sad, his mom was usually nicer than his dad. After a few days with no sign of her, a knock came on the door. His dad opened the door, yelling at Quentin as he did to go to his room. Quentin scurried off, wanting to avoid getting into trouble, and didn’t see who was at the door. When there was a knock at the door, it usually meant someone was coming to get some of the funny things his parents liked. If he asked, his dad said it was "business, and none of his."

            Quentin was hiding under his bed with Dog, his favorite stuffy, when his bedroom door opened. He’d been quiet and did what he was told, but he still pushed back further under the bed. He heard the click clack of the nice, shiny shoes as they walked into his room, looking around before coming closer to the bed.

            “Quentin? Are you down here?” A lady’s voice asked as she knelt next to the bed and looking under. The lady had blonde hair that was falling around her face as she looked upside-down under the bed. “Quentin, my name is Marlene. Can you come out please so we can talk?” Quentin shook his head. She didn’t look like his mom and dad’s usual friends. She had pretty make-up on and nice clothes, but he still knew better than to talk to strangers.

            “It’s okay, you don’t have to be scared.” She offered, shifting so she was laying on the floor. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you. In fact, if you can come out and answer a few questions for me, I might have a lollipop or two for you.” She offered with a smile. It was a nice smile, not a mean one like he got sometimes from his parents or their friends. He scooted closer to the edge of the bed and Marlene moved back so he could climb out.

            When he came into the light, Marlene could see that he was scrawny and didn’t have any of the residual baby fat a child his age should have. He had a few visible bruises that didn’t look like they came from typical childhood clumsiness. She trained her face to stay in the friendly smile and pulled a few lollipops out of her pocket.

            “Thank you for coming out to talk to me, Quentin. What colour lollipop would you like?” She asked. He pointed to the green one and she unwrapped it before passing it over. He stuck it into his mouth and a smile started to form on his face from the sugary taste.

            “Think you can answer a few questions for me? There’s no right or wrong answers to these questions and you won’t get in trouble for what you say.” Quentin shrugged in reply. “If you do your best, you can have another lollipop when we’re done, okay?

            Marlene asked Quentin questions about his parents, how they treated him, what his life was life. With the lollipop in his mouth and the promise of another, he slowly opened up and answered the questions she asked. He was still worried about getting in trouble, but Marlene never looked angry. She was writing on a little notepad she’d taken out of her pocket and kept smiling so he started to trust that she wasn't lying about not getting in trouble.

            Marlene eventually put the notepad away, taking out the lollipops again. Without her having to ask, Quentin pointed at the red one. She unwrapped it like before and handed it over, taking the stick from the first one to put with the wrappers.

            “You did very good Quentin.” She told him in a soft voice. “Now, we’re going to go on a little trip and be gone for a bit. Can you get together any toys or clothes you want to bring with you? I have some friends in the other room and I’m just going to talk to them for a second while you get started. I’ll come help when I’m done, okay?”

            “Okay.” Quentin nodded and hopped off his bed where he had been sitting. Marlene stood as well, watching for a moment as he started a pile on his bed before leaving the room.

            She came back with a big black bag and started folding the clothes on the bed and putting them in the bag, asking Quentin if he had gotten everything. Pants, shirts, underwear. At the mention of underwear, he went digging through a pile of clothes for them. She chuckled and kept putting the clothes and toys in the bag. She reminded him about his toothbrush, which he said he didn’t have.

            “We’re going to be gone for a little while. Do you have everything you want?” She asked a few minutes later and Quentin nodded. “Okay, let’s get going.” She offered her hand to the boy, carrying the big bag in her other. He took it and they began walking out towards her car.

            When they reached the door, there were two cars outside: a plain, silver car and a police car.

            “Are you police? Are we riding in police car?” He asked excitedly, bouncing.

            “No, I’m not a police officer, but I work with police a lot. We’re going in the other car.” Quentin deflated at that, but his eyes grew wide as an officer approached them.

            “Hey little man. I heard you did real good answering the questions.” The office knelt down to Quentin’s level. “Did you get a lollipop out of the deal?”

            “Yeah, two of ‘em!” Quentin nodded exuberantly.

            “Two? Aw man, I guess you wouldn’t want a sticker after all that candy.” The officer teased, taking a couple stickers of a police badge out of his pocket.

            “No! I wanna sticker!” Quentin stuck his hand out and the officer laughed, handing him a few stickers.

            “There you go, buddy. Be good and stay out of trouble, okay?” The officer prompted. Quentin nodded and hummed a response as he looked at the stickers which shone in the sunlight.

            “T’anks.” He smiled when he finally looked up, slurring around the candy in his mouth. The officer nodded and stood up to his full height again, turning to head towards the car. Quentin watched him go, noticing his dad in the backseat.

            “Why daddy in the car?” He asked Marlene, tugging on her hand and pointing.

            “Well, do you know that when someone is bad and breaks the law, the police take them away?” She started explaining, walking them towards her car again.

            “They do? Where they go?” He asked.

            “They go to a long time out.”

            “Daddy go time out? Silly.”

            “It is a little silly, isn’t it?” She opened the door for him. There was a booster seat already set up and he jumped into it. She helped him buckle in. She closed the door and put the bag in the trunk before climbing into the driver’s seat.

            Quentin asked questions non-stop once they started driving. Where is daddy going for time out? Where is mommy? Is she going to time out too? Was _he_ going to time out? Where were they going? Were mommy and daddy going to be there? Were there grown-ups there? Were there other kids there? Was he gonna get to watch TV and not just boring grown-up shows? Was there food there? Was there candy and toys there?

            Marlene answered his questions, explaining to him the best she could about the foster system and how he was going to live with another family for a while that would take care of him. In the 40 minute drive, her heart broke over and over for the boy in her backseat and she felt a connection with him in a way she hadn’t with any of her past cases. By the time they got to the office, she was sure of what she had to do.

            Quentin got to sit in a colourful room filled with toys while Marlene had to go do grown-up stuff. A tall man, taller than his daddy, brought in something called a happy meal. He’d never had one before and it came with a toy that he got to keep! The man sat with him, not looking so tall and scary once he was sitting on the floor, talking to Quentin while he ate. By the time Marlene came back, Quentin was playing with the new toy having eaten the whole happy meal.

            “Ready to go?” Marlene asked.

            “This not fosters?” Quentin asked, a little confused. This place had toys and food and a grown-up.

            “Nope, you’re going to come live with me and my family. How does that sound?”

            “You has fosters parents?” He asked, a sceptical look on his face.

            “No, Quentin, I’m going to _be_ your foster parent.” She explained and just like that, Quentin Courfeyrac had found a foster home with The Enjolras Family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quentin Courfeyrac and Julien Enjolras Jr. meet for the first time.

            On the ride to the Enjolras’ house, Marlene answered more of Quentin’s questions about how fostering works.

            “I’m going to be your foster mother. You can call me Marlene like you have been so far. You’re going to have a foster father as well and his name is Julien.”

            “Ju’en?” Courfeyrac asked, trying to pronounce the name. It felt funny on his tongue.

            “Well, maybe we’ll come up with a nickname for him.” She chuckled. “And Julien Jr.”

            “Ju’en Junior?” He asked, saying the name again.

            “Yes, he’s going to be your foster brother. He’s mine and Julien’s son. We call him JJ most of the time so it doesn’t get too confusing.”

            “I has a brother?”

            “Yes. He’s a few years older than you but I’m sure you’ll get along great.” Marlene didn’t know how wrong she could be until she got home.

            As they pulled up to the house, Quentin marvelled up at it. It was the biggest house he’d ever seen. What if he got lost? Marlene assured him that it wasn’t that big and he wouldn’t get lost even If it took a while to get used to. She helped him out of the car and took the bag of his things out of the trunk before taking his hand to walk him up to the door.

            Julien was waiting anxiously in the front foyer when the door opened. He stopped pacing and turned to watch as his wife led a little boy, their new foster son, into the house. It took him a second to get over the little boy’s appearance even though Marlene had warned him the best she could on the phone.

            “Hi Quentin.” Julien smiled, kneeling down. “I’m Julien. I’m going to be your foster dad if that’s okay.”

            “Ju’en! It okay.” Quentin nodded, remembering Marlene telling him about Julien. Julien laughed and looked up at Marlene.

            “Yeah, my name is a little tricky, isn’t it? We’ll figure something out.” He promised. Not sure what to do, he held his hand out for the boy to shake. Quentin giggled and shook it, feeling very adult.

            “Where is he?” Marlene asked quietly as she looked around the foyer.

            “In his room, moping.” Julien sighed, standing up. “I don’t think he’s quite ready yet.” Marlene shook her head with a soft sigh as well before turning back to Quentin.

            “Well, Quentin. Want to see your new bedroom?” She asked.

            The room was off-white with a light blue trim around the middle. Quentin had never seen walls so white and clean. The carpet was a light blue, matching the trim. There was a dresser, a desk, and a big bed.

            “This was a guest room, for when we had company come over. This week we’ll decorate it however you want.” Marlene explained as she started packing away his clothes in the drawers.

            “I like blue.” Quentin told her, looking around at everything.

            “Good. We can change the colour if you want, but I’m happy you like the blue.”

            “No.” He shook his head before climbing up onto the bed with only minor difficulty.

            “We’re going to have to get a bed.” Julien commented, watching Quentin struggle.

            “Do we still have JJ’s old bed in the attic?”

            “I didn’t see it. I brought down the clothes you asked for, though.”

            “Where Jojo?” Quentin asked, sitting on the bed. Marlene and Julien both grinned at the little boy’s attempt of JJ’s name.

            “He’s in his room. You’ll meet him soon, okay? We’ll get you a smaller bed tomorrow too.”

            The two helped Quentin set up his room they best they could with the furniture they had. They showed him his new clothes, which they explained JJ had grown out of. They were a lot nicer than the clothes Quentin already had. Marlene and Julien started asking him what he liked so they could buy some decorations for his room and some new toys. He told them he really likes cars and airplanes and likes to colour and draw.

            As the new family bonded, Julien Jr. was sitting just behind his bedroom door across the hall, glaring into what was supposed to be the guest room as his parents helped this new kid settle in. He didn’t want a brother. No one asked him before they brought this strange, dirty kid home. What if he had fleas? He didn’t want fleas.

            Julien avoided him throughout the afternoon, staying in his room for the most part and reading. His parents kept checking in with him, seeing if he wanted to meet Quentin, but he told them to go away every time. When he was called down for supper, he knew he had no choice unless he wanted to go without food for the night.

            JJ peered around the corner, trying to stay out of sight as he looked at the dinner table. His family was eating _hot dogs_ for supper. They never ate hot dogs unless they were at a barbeque.

            “JJ, there you are! Come meet Quentin.” His mother called out as she spotted him. He groaned and shuffled into the room, pointedly not looking at the other kid whose eyes were trained on him as he took his usual seat.

            “Julien, this is Quentin. Say hello, please.” Marlene prompted, a tone in her voice telling Julien to behave.

            “Hi Jojo. You like hot dogs?” Quentin greeted happily.

            “No.” Julien spat, even though his parents knew he very much did.

            “Julien.” His father warned.

            “Why are we eating hot dogs? We _never_ eat hot dogs for supper.” He spat.

            “Because for Quentin’s first dinner here we asked him what he wanted and he chose hot dogs. It’s a special dinner.” His mother told him.

            “Jojo don’t like hot dogs?” Quentin worried.

            “Don’t worry, darling-“ Marlene tried to reassure him before JJ jumped out of his seat.

            “No! You’re not allowed to call him that!” Julien screamed, making Quentin flinch. “He’s not supposed to be here and I hate him!” He stormed away from the table, not having touched his supper.

            Quentin started crying, shying away from his food and curling up on the chair. Marlene got up and hugged him close trying to soothe him, telling him it wasn’t his fault and Julien was just adjusting to the change. She shot a look to Julien who nodded, getting up and following his son as the sound of the slamming door echoed through the house.

            “Julien!” The elder man called through JJ’s bedroom door before opening it. He found the younger man pacing his floor, kicking his toys out of the way as he passed them. “What you did downstairs was _very_ inappropriate.”

            “I don’t care! I don’t want him here! This is my family and he can’t have it!” JJ pouted, kicking a stuffed toy under his bed.

            “You can both be part of this family. One of you isn’t going to take us away from the other. You’re being very selfish right now.” JJ didn’t respond. “Do you know why he’s here, Julien?”

            “Because mom wants him here.” He grumbled.

            “Well yes, your mother and I both do, but do you know why he isn’t with his own family?”

            “No.” The boy shrugged. Julien Sr. sat down on his son’s bed and gestured for his son to join him.

            “You know what your mother does for work, right.”

            “Yeah, I’m not dumb.” He rolled his eyes, which Julian chose to ignore for the moment.

            “Quentin lived with his own mother and father who were very cruel. They weren’t nice to him at all. They did mean things like feeding him when he was hungry or to hit him when they thought he was naughty. I’m sure you saw the marks on him.” The younger boy’s expression started to soften as his father explained the situation to him. “He’s a good kid and didn’t deserve that. No kid does, don’t you agree?”

            “Yeah.” He answered reluctantly. It didn’t sound right. It didn’t sound fair what Quentin’s parents had done to him, but he still didn’t want the boy here. He could go somewhere else safe.

            “He needs a place to live and a family that’s going to love him. I promise you Julien, he isn’t going to take us away from you, but he needs our help. Not just mine and your mother’s, but yours too. Can you help us look after him? Keep him safe?”

            “What am I supposed to do about it?” Julien asked, still skeptical. “I’m not even allowed to use the microwave without asking.”

            “You can be his friend. I understand you’re not happy about having a new foster brother, but he could really use a friend. You can teach him how this house is safe, help him learn to trust all of us. You can be nice and play with him, look out for him. Think you can do that?”

            Julien Jr. took a moment to answer, clearly taking this responsibility to heart. His parents could feed the boy and be nice to him, but he needed a friend. Finally, he nodded.

            “I can.” He declared proudly.

            “That’s my boy.” His father ruffled his hair, making him laugh. “Now, how about we go downstairs, you can apologize for scaring Quentin and you can eat your hot dogs.”

            The two stood, heading back towards the dining room, but Julien Sr. stopped his son just before they got to the staircase.

            “I know this is going to be tough. It’s a big change. You’ve been an only child your whole life until now. If something like this bothers you again. If you feel like your mother and I aren’t spending enough time with you or whatever you’re thinking, just come talk to one of us, okay?”

            “Okay, dad.” JJ nodded.

            When the two of them reached the dining room, Quentin had stopped crying but his puffy, red eyes and sniffling were reminders of what had just happened. He was eating again, Marlene having switched chairs to sit beside him. When he saw the pair enter the room, his eyes widened as he watched JJ carefully.

            “It’s okay.” Marlene whispered to him.

            “Quentin, I’m sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean it.” Julien offered, fidgeting in the doorway.

            “You sorry?” The younger boy asked.

            “Yeah. Can we be friends?”

            “Friends? I got no friends… just Dog.” Quentin replied sadly.

            “That’s okay, I’ll be your first friend!” Julien offered happily as he entered the room and sat down. “You can meet my friends and they’ll be your friends too. My best friend, Ethan, he’s really nice and I’m sure he’ll be your friend too. He’s really smart. He read all sorts of books and always knows cool facts about things.” Julien excitedly told Quentin all about his friends, the younger boy relaxing as he did. Marlene and Julien Sr. shared a look of relief when the boys weren’t looking. This was their normal from now on, and the first big crisis had been averted for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JJ's reaction is largely based on my own experience when I went from being the baby in the family to having a new baby niece. I was sadly much older than JJ and took it quite badly. I threw a fit when my father wanted to gift the baby The Cat in the Hat because that was OUR book. I feel your pain, JJ.
> 
> Didn't mention it before, but you can come say hi at thoughagenius-isafreak.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of moments from the first week of the Enjolras Family's new normal.
> 
> Happy New Year everyone!

            The first week of their new life was tough. Even though the boys had agreed to be friends and get along, they were still children who had to get to know each other. That included each other’s likes and quirks.

            On his second day with his new family, Quentin was very busy. In the morning they went shopping where he got to pick out new toys, decorations for his room, and a brand new bed. He picked the one with stars and planets on it, liking the colours and the idea of outer space. They left the furniture store with Quentin telling them he was going to grow up to be a “stronaut.” They even bought a nightlight that shone stars on the ceiling to match.

            The afternoon was far less fun as Quentin had to go to the doctor’s office. They did lots of tests like hitting his knee to see if it would move (it did) and checking his hair for bugs (no bugs.) They used a needle to take blood, which Quentin did not like and cried the whole time. Luckily, the tests didn’t bring any bad news, just things they already knew such as he needed to eat more.

            At home Quentin was more than willing to share his new toys, although Marlene and Julien Sr. suspected it was more out of fear that if he didn’t, they would be taken away anyway. Julien Jr. was willing to share _some_ of his toys. He didn’t want Quentin touching his best toys, worried the younger boy would break them.

            On the third day, Marlene rushed through the house when she heard shouting and crying to finding JJ clinging protectively to his favorite toy firetruck.

            “This toy is mine! I don’t want you to play with it!” He shouted over the boy’s wailing. Marlene scooped Quentin up, hugging him in her arms.

            “Julien, he didn’t know. You don’t have to shout at him.” She scolded.

            “He took it without asking! He’s gonna break it!” JJ pouted, thinking Quentin should be the one getting in trouble.

            “Once he calms down, we’ll all have a talk about how to treat each other’s things, okay?” She offered, trying to bring the peace. Quentin held his little hand out to her, showing a small scratch on his palm from where the toy scraped him when Julien had yanked it away.

            “Is that why we’re crying? Is that all? This silly little thing?” She joked, trying to make him smile. She kissed his palm. “Better?” The boy shook his head, so she placed three more kisses in quick succession on his hand, making him giggle through his tears.

            As promised, they sat down and all had a discussion on how to treat each other’s toys. They spoke about why sharing is important, but also to respect that if someone doesn’t want you to play with their things, then they’re allowed to say no. Both boys agreed, although Marlene was smart enough to know that this wouldn’t be the last time they fought.

            In the end, both boys got a bandaid (“But I scratched my hand too.” JJ had whined when he saw Quentin getting one of his favorite Batman bandaids over his scratch) and a bowl of ice cream. By the time the ice cream was finished and wiped away from their faces, they’d forgotten about the whole ordeal.

            By Saturday when JJ’s best friend came over, he was excited to show off his new friend-but-not-brother.

            Ethan was taller than JJ and wore glasses. While JJ was pale and blonde, Ethan had dark skin and brown, unruly hair. Quentin was darker thank JJ, but Ethan was even darker than him! Quentin was shy at first, holding Dog close to his chest when he first met the boy.

            “Hi, my name is Ethan Combeferre.” The boy recited the way his parents had taught him to meet new people.

            “Et’an Com-bear?” Quentin giggled from behind the stuffed animal.

            “No, but close enough.” Ethan smiled, used to his unusual last name being mispronounced. “What’s your name?”

            “Quentin Courf-rac.” He stumbled over his last name.

            “Nice to meet you, Quentin. Can we be friends?” He asked, seeing JJ getting impatient at the slow introductions.

            “Okay, Bear.” Quentin nodded, lowering the dog.

            “His name isn’t bear, it’s-“ JJ started to correct the younger boy when Ethan stopped him.

            “It’s okay. It’s kinda funny. I like bears.” He shrugged. “Did you know bears hibernate all winter?”

            “What’s hi-ber-nate?” Quentin sounded out the word, careful to say it right after JJ’s attempt to correct him with Bear’s name.

            “It means that they sleep all winter long.”

            “Can we go outside now? I’m bored!” JJ groaned.

            “ _All_ winter? That’s super long.” Quentin gasped, amazed.

            “Come on, let’s go play outside and I’ll tell you more about bears.” Ethan offered before the three boys ran outside into the back yard.

            Quentin and JJ got along better when Ethan came over to play. With his experience with his younger siblings, Ethan was more willing to be patient with the younger boy. He also liked sharing interesting facts he’d learned while reading books. Some of these facts were already known by JJ, who brushed them off as common knowledge, but Quentin was mesmerised to learn about different animals and science and outer space- although the poor boy started crying when JJ and Ethan were talking about the world spinning, scared he was going to fall off.

            When it was just the two of them, JJ was able to talk about why he didn’t like his new foster brother. Ethan understood, having gone through the same problems and worries when his little sister had been born just under two years ago.

            “You’ll get used to him like I did with Céleste. At least he’s older that Céleste so he doesn’t cry all night.” Ethan reasoned one day when the two boys were playing alone. Marlene had gone shopping, taking Quentin with her so he could pick out some snacks he liked.

            “I don’t want to get used to him though.” JJ complained. “He isn’t supposed to stay here forever. He’s my foster brother, that means not forever.”

            “I guess…” Ethan shrugged. He didn’t really know how fostering worked. He would have to get a book about it next time his family went to the library. “But you have someone to play with now when I’m at home.”

            “He’s too small to play with though.”

            “No he isn’t, he plays with us all the time.” Ethan pointed out.

            “Because you’re good at it. I’m not. You’re good at waiting for him.”

            “You can be too. Just be nice like you’d want a bigger kid to be if you were trying to play a game with bigger kids.”

            “You make it sound easy.”

            “It is easy, you’re just stubborn.”

            “Stubborn? What’s that mean?”

            “It means “set in purpose or opinion.” My mom called you stubborn so I looked it up.” He smiled, proud to have taught his friend a new word.

            “I’m not stubborn!” JJ pouted.

            “If you say so. I think you are.” Ethan shrugged before the boys went back to playing with their action figures.

            “Stubborn’s not bad.” JJ rebuked a few minutes later. “Batman is stubborn.”

            Ethan thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, he is.”

            “So it’s not bad then.”

            “The Joker is stubborn too. Stubborn can be good or bad I think.”

            “You think too much.” JJ shot back, tossing his Batman on the ground. “I don’t want to play this anymore. Let’s go outside.” He stormed out of his room before Ethan had a chance to object.

            “Stubborn.” Ethan nodded as he watched him go before following.

            Towards the end of the week, just when Marlene and Julien Sr. thought they had most of the kinks worked out, of course another curveball was thrown their way. Quentin toddled into the adult’s office where Marlene was working one morning, scratching at his neck.

            “Marlene, I really itchy.” He told her, voice a little hoarse.

            “Oh really, come here, p’tit chou.” She turned away from her laptop, picked the boy up onto her lap. She pulled his hand away from where he was scratching, seeing his skin red and blotchy. “Have you been scratching?”

            “Uh-huh.” He nodded. Marlene pulled his shirt collar out of the way to see hives had sprouted up down his shoulders. She stood up, carrying the boy as she walked towards the bathroom.

            “Are you itchy everywhere?” The boy nodded. “Is your throat itchy? Does it feel tickly?” He nodded again. “Well darling, I think you might be allergic to something.”

            “What does ‘lergic mean?” He asked, bringing his hand up to scratch again.

            “It means that you touched or ate something that your body doesn’t like.” She explained, sitting him on the closed toilet seat as she opened the medicine cabinet for the children’s allergy medication. “And your body is fighting against it. That’s what’s making you itchy.” She poured a dose into the little cup and knelt down, holding the cup out towards Quentin. Quentin covered his mouth and shook his head.

            “This tastes good, like grapes.” She promised. “Plus, it will stop the itching. You want to stop itching, right?” She asked, holding the cup a little closer to him. He slowly brought his hand away from his face and opened his mouth. She helped the boy drink the medicine.

            “Mmm, yummy.” He nodded. “Grapey!”

            “I told you. Now, how about a bath until the itchiness goes away? You can take some toys into the bath if you’d like.” She started running the water, Quentin excitedly running to the bucket of bath toys. While his first bath had been an unsure, scary experience, Quentin was warming up to the idea that baths were quite fun. He grabbed some of the boats he liked, throwing them in the tub as it filled.

            “Get undressed.” Marlene told him as she poured some funny smelling bubbles in the water. “JJ used to have allergies too, you know, that’s why we have this special bubble bath.” She explained as she mixed the bubbles with her hand. “JJ can’t eat cherries and peaches or he’ll get itchy like you are. This bubble bath helps with the itch.”

            Marlene and Julien Sr. kept an eye on what Quentin was eating or what he might be playing with that could be flaring up this possible allergy. After a few more incidents, they figured out it was a juice they had in the fridge. Their next trip to Dr. LeBlanc confirmed that Quentin had an acute allergy to kiwis. Luckily, the itchiness seemed to be the worst of it and easy to manage.

            With no more kiwis in the house, it seemed the family had plateaued into what was to be their new routine. With things settled, Marlene had to return to work. Quentin cried the first morning she was leaving, but she explained to him she needed to go back to work to help other children, like she’d helped him. With the promise – to both JJ and Quentin – that she was going to help the other kids but not bring anymore home, she went off to work.

            Julien, a professor at the nearby university, only had to go into work one day a week during the summer, so while Marlene went back to work he was able to stay at home with the children. Although Quentin didn’t know it, Marlene, Julien and JJ all wondered how Thursday, the first day where neither parent would be home, would go over with the newest edition to the family. This Thursday, he would meet Grandma Marie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took a while. First the holidays hit, and then I was struck with a crazy story idea that took over all of my writing/editing time. I hope to finish this other one-shot up by next week so it can be posted and out of my head, leaving more time for this story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quentin meets another member of the family: Grandma Marie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a heads up: Grandma Marie has a moment of calling Combeferre Enjolras' "dark friend." This doesn't come from a place of hate or racism, but from an older, white woman who was raised in a different time. I am not excusing or condoning the way she says it, but I find it a very realistic thing that older people do. I also plan to bring it back after the kids grow up and begin their interests in social justice and politics.

            Grandma Marie was Julien Sr.’s mother. She had been called a “crazy woman” her whole life until she married Julien’s father. Then they called her eccentric. She was never one to adhere to social norms, happier to do what she pleased whether others felt it was proper or not. When she married Alexandre, it had been the scandal of the year. He was a respected member of society and she was a crank! That was what made Alexandre fall in love with her.

            When they first married, she tried to smarten up. With Alexandre’s reputation, the last thing she wanted to do was embarrass her new husband. After the second dinner party where she had behaved the proper housewife, he asked her what was wrong. He explained to her that she didn’t need to behave “proper” for him and if he had wanted a “proper” wife, he would have married one of the countless women his parents kept introducing him to. At the next party, she showed up as herself. The party was talked about for years.

            Now that she was a widow, Marie traveled. She’d always wanted to see as much of the world as possible, learning about different people and customs. She and Alexandre had gone on many vacations, but now she had no one or nothing to wait on. Alexandre had left her a large estate which would keep her comfortable for quite a few lifetimes. She spent most of the year travelling, although she stayed home for most of the summer to help her son and his wife mind their son while he wasn’t in school.

            Now, she had to help them mind their _sons_.

            Marie had yet to meet Quentin. She had spent the past month in India. This coming Thursday was going to be the first day of minding her new grandbaby.

            “Imagine my surprise,” She started as soon as she entered the door, not even saying hello. “When I return from India to a message on my answering machine that you and Marlene have suddenly taken in another child!”

            “We would have called you directly, mother, but you didn’t take your phone with you this time. It was also a very sudden decision.” Julien defended.

            “I should say so. I had to search through everything I had bought to make sure I had something to give him when I came. Luckily I bought JJ a few things so I can pass some on to the little sprout. I also bought this beautiful blue scarf, all patterned. You said he likes blue, _oui_?” She rambled.

            “Yes, he seems to like blue so far. But I have to warn you, mother. He came from a very bad home. You might be a little… much.”

            “Much? Are you calling your own much “much?” Breaking my poor heart, Julien.” She grasped at her chest dramatically while Julien fought not to roll his eyes. “Did you hear that, Alex?” She asked upwards towards the ceiling. “What our darling little boy has just said to me.”

            “This is what I mean.” Julien shook his head with a smile.

            “Of course I’m a little much, that’s why children love me!” She laughed, swatting her son on the arm. “Now, where are the _chuchuzinho_ s? That’s Portuguese, you know. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” She laughed, walking further into the house.

            “Where did you learn Portuguese in India?” Julien asked, trailing after her.

            “I didn’t silly, I learned it in Brazil.” She scoffed. “You’re supposed to be some smart professor. My boy.” She stopped walking to pat him affectionately on the cheek.

            “ _Mémère_!” A little voice shouted from the top of the stairs. The two turned to see JJ running down the stairs before launching himself at the older woman, who barely caught him in a hug.

            “JJ, be careful.” Julien warned, moving forward to help steady the pair.

            “My dear _golubchik,_ you’re almost too big for that.” She laughed as she squeezed the boy tightly. “Oh, I’ve missed you.”

            “I missed you too.” JJ replied, voice muffled into the hug.

            “Julien, why don’t you go get my bag from the car. Junior here can introduce me to his new brother.”

            “Mother,” Julien started to warn before he was cut off.

            “He’s not my brother.” JJ announced, pulling back from the hug the older woman was still holding him in.

            “Not your brother? Oh dear, we’re having trouble are we?” She chuckled, turning to her son. “You were just like this when we got Pompy.”

            “Pompy was a dog and you insisted we were siblings.”

            “Well you were, now go get my bag.” She waved him off, leading Julien into the living room to sit down. “Now, why isn’t this little boy your brother?”

            “Because he’s not. Brothers and sisters come from mommies and daddies having babies. Mommy and daddy didn’t have Quentin, they just took him.”

            “That doesn’t make him any less of a brother. Family doesn’t mean blood, Julien. Family means so much more than that.” She pulled him onto her lap. “Family means love and looking out for one another.”

            “Nu-uh. That’s not what family means.” JJ shook his head. “Mme. Larocque said-“

            “Mme. Larocque? Are you saying Mme. Larocque knows more than me?” She teased.

            “No, but-“

            “No buts about it. Family doesn’t mean just blood. That little boy needs love and needs people to look after him. When your mother and father decided to take him in, he became family.”

            “Daddy said we didn’t have to be brothers, only friends.”

            “Well, that’s a good start I suppose.” She sighed, knowing her grandson was just as hard-headed as her son. “So, where is Quentin?”

            “He’s in his room, right JJ?” Julien Sr. answered from the archway of the room, carrying a small suitcase with him. “Where do you want your bag, mother?”

            “Bring it in here. Why don’t you go get your br- your friend and bring him down so I can give you both your presents?” She asked JJ with a twinkle in her eye. The boy perked up, nodding frantically before he jumped off her lap and ran through the house. They could hear him calling for Quentin the whole way.

            “A little friction, huh? Not brothers?” She asked her son with a raised eyebrow.

            “It all happened so fast, mom. We didn’t really have a chance to talk to him about it before Quentin was home. I gave him a bit of warning, but…” He shook his head, slumping into a chair.

            “He’s young, and he’s used to being the only child. He’ll come around. It happens with all children when they have a new sibling.”

            “This isn’t like Pompy, mother. Pompy was a dog, Quentin is a boy.”

            “I’m not talking about dogs, I’m talking about children. I may have only had one myself but I had many friends with big families. There’s an adjustment period. It’ll all settle in eventually.” She leaned across the gap to pat her son on the knee. “Parents have been fighting this battle since the beginning of time, Julien. You and Marlene are more than equipped to deal with it.”

            Julien was about to thank his mother for the advice when JJ appeared at the door, looking frustrated.

            “He’s scared. He won’t come off the stairs. Do I still get my presents?” JJ asked.

            “Well, let’s go meet him at the stairs then.” Marie said as she stood. “Julien, bring the bag. We’re taking this show on the road.” She moved towards JJ, taking his hand. They walked to the staircase, seeing Quentin hiding on the upper landing, peeking around the banister.

            “Well, JJ. I don’t see anyone else here.” Marie started, looking dramatically around the room. She moved to sit on the stairs, ignoring Julien’s protests. “I can sit on the stairs, I’m not that old yet.” She shushed him. “Let’s start looking at what I brought back from India, and if anyone else in the room would like to come see all the toys, they can join us.” She said, calling out to the room and making sure not to look directly at Quentin.

            JJ took the suitcase from where his father had dropped it on the floor and started dragging it closer to his Grandmother. She clicked open the latches and opened it, making Julien gasp at all the colors and toys. Out of the corner of his eye, Julien saw Quentin scoot closer to see.

            “Try this out.” Marie picked out a toy that looked like a drum, handing it to JJ. “If you twirl it back and forth, these little beads hit the drum.” She explained how it worked, helping him figure it out. At the loud noise, Julien couldn’t help but groan quietly at the future headaches he could expect.

            As they went through the toys and figurines, Quentin scooted closer and closer down the stairs until he was sitting right behind Grandma Marie.

            “I got this for your little dark friend,” She was telling JJ as she handed him a terracotta elephant statuette. “He asked for something terracotta or an elephant, so I got him both in one. Do you think he’ll like it?” JJ nodded, taking it carefully from his grandmother and setting it beside him.

            “Now, there’s still so many toys here. I wonder if you have anyone to share them with.” Marie started to say as she turned to look over her shoulder. She jumped, pretending to be startled at the sudden appearance of the little boy. “Well hello there. Would you like to see the toys?” She asked gently with a warm smile. The boy nodded, scooting down the last step to sit next to her, on the opposite side of JJ.

            “Well, there’s a rule before you can play with any toys Grandma brings over. Are you ready to hear it?” The boy nodded again. She leaned in closer to whisper. “First, you have to tell me your name.”

            “Quentin.” The boy whispered back. Julien felt himself let go of the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Quentin so far had only warmed up to new adults that had been introduced to him through Marlene. The fact that he was warming up to Grandma Marie without Marlene around had to be a good sign that he was getting more comfortable in his new home.

            “Nice to meet you Quentin. I’m Grandma Marie.” She answered.

            “Gram-Marie?” He tried.

            “Close enough. You can call me Marie or Grandma or whatever you’d like, little sprout. JJ here calls me _Mémère_. Now, ready for the second rule for the toys?

            “Yeah.” The boy assured, much louder this time, scooting even closer.

            “Can I have a hug, Quentin?” She asked. The boy sprung up and hugged her. She squeezed him tightly, laughing as she did. “Oh, that’s a great hug, Quentin. Thank you so much! Now, let’s see what we have.” Quentin let go and sat down, looking over all the things she had been pulling out of her suitcase.

            “Now, I was in India buying presents before I found out about you. Some things are just for JJ, some things are just for you, but there are a lot the two of you are going to have to share, understand?” She asked both boys sitting next to her. The both muttered their agreement.

            “Good. Now, here’s something I brought back just for you.” She pulled out the blue silk scarf, watching Quentin’s eyes widen as it unfolded.

            “Wow.” He sighed, reaching out to touch it before bringing his hand back.

            “It’s okay Quentin, it’s yours. You can touch it.” With her permission, Quentin reached out to touch it. JJ reached over from where he was sitting to feel it too. They both liked how soft it felt. “See, someone told me that your room is blue. Is that true?”

            “Yeah! I like blue.” Quentin told her.

            “Perfect. Well, we can hang this up in your room or put it on your bed. Whatever you’d like.”

            “It looks like a magic carpet.” JJ announced from her other side.

            “It does, doesn’t it? Maybe we’ll play magic carpet this afternoon and I’ll tell you both stories about all the countries I’ve visited. That is, if Quentin doesn’t mind sharing his magic carpet.”

            “Yeah, I share so we can play.”

            Julien watched the three for as long as he could, making sure Quentin was going to be okay once he left. As he stood to get his jacket, most of his worries had disappeared. _Most_ of them.

            “I have to go to work now. Are you boys going to be okay with your grandmother while I’m gone?”

            “Yeah.” JJ shrugged him off.

            “Work?” Quentin asked.

            “I work at a school. I have to go teach a class.” Julien explained.

            “Oh. I go school?”

            “Not until fall. Be good, okay?” The little boy nodded, going back to the toys laid out on the stairs.

            “You know how to get a hold of me if yo-“ Julien started to tell his mother.

            “Oh just go, I think I can handle two boys for a few hours. We’ll be fine. We’re going to have a picnic and then play magic carpet.”

            “Okay. Marlene will be back at 5. Have fun.” He hesitated briefly by the door before leaving.

            “Gram?” Quentin tugged on his shirt to get her attention.

            “Yes, Quentin?”  She asked.

            “What’s picnic?”

            “You’re about to find out, _ma puce_.” She told the boy before standing. “JJ, go get the blanket. Quentin and I will start getting lunch ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first Grandma Marie was simply the solution to who watched the children when Julien and Marlene were at work. As her character developed, I started to love her more and more. She's a combination of a lovely old woman I work with and my own grandmother, who I know would be exactly like Grandma Marie had she had the money to travel.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments/kudos are always appreciated. This is going to be a long one so any suggestions of what you guys want to see


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